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Disneyland and Single Riders

Hey Mouskeketeers, Jessica here from The Happiest Blog on Earth! If you listened to the latest All About the Mouse Disney Podcast you heard me talking about my book, Disneyland On Any Budget. We also announced right here on All About the Mouse that the 2017 edition is up and ready, which means you awesome Mouseketeers are the first to get all the new information and tips that have just been added.

Disneyland On Any Budget, start saving and let’s go to Disneyland!

Right now we’re gonna switch gears a bit and share one way to help you save time during your Disneyland trip. We are talking single rider lines, Disneyland Resort style.

Most of you are familiar with single rider lines at Walt Disney World on various attractions like Test Track, Expedition Everest and others.

At the Disneyland Resort, you can also hop in those (sometimes) low-wait single rider lines to save valuable time in the parks. But just as Cinderella Castle and Sleeping Beauty Castle are different—so are the single rider lines at the Disneyland Resort.

Single Rider Lines at Disneyland Resort

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The Disneyland Resort is truly a local park. You can expect to see large parties in the single rider line. Locals know the system well and they come here often. They’ve been down Splash Mountain a hundred times with their friends and today they just want to cool off. The only rules for single rider lines is you must be prepared to ride without your party and you need to be seven years old or older.

Just like at Walt Disney World, it doesn’t mean you can’t wait in single rider lines as a group. It just means you won’t sit together come ride time. Sometimes that’s a bummer when it’s 90 plus degrees and the Splash Mountain single rider line is filled with local teenagers and groups of 10+ people. Just keep swimming and grab a FASTPASS instead or wait it out in either the single rider or stand by line.

Single Rider Lines at Disneyland Park

I already mentioned Splash Mountain’s single rider line and the hiccup that can leave you waiting quite a while in the single rider line. If you’re prepared to wait, grab a frozen lemonade at Hungry Bear Restaurant on your way up to Splash Mountain and you’ll have plenty of time to sip and enjoy.

Matterhorn single rider is (usually) not nice. Matterhorn lines wrap around Matterhorn from both the Tomorrowland and Fantasyland side during peak days. There is no FASTPASS option (yet!), however the line moves rather quickly.

Disneyland Single Rider Lines.

If the lines haven’t met in the back, it might be worth it to wait it out in the standby line. Why? Matterhorn cast members are notorious for searching waaayyyy back into the line to fill spots rather than pull from the single rider line. Still want to try? Head to the main loading area and you’ll see the single rider sign.

Ready for an incredible single rider adventure? Indiana Jones Adventure is the ticket! You take a long walk through the exit and just when you start thinking, “this can’t be right”, you’ll run into a cast member who will direct you the rest of the way. This backward adventure takes you up and down two elevators and offers a very short, airconditioned wait in the super cool queue. It almost makes you wish you went standby. Almost.

Photo credit: hyku / Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Single Rider Lines at California Adventure

Radiator Springs Racers is one of my favorite Disneyland Resort attractions—and it’s everyone else’s too. Luckily, I’ve never even had to wait in the regular queue. The single rider line is your friend at all hours of the day! I even got my kids to try it out and they loved using the single rider line too. This is me with a bunch of people I don’t know. It’s the best photo-bomb opportunity ever.

Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land.

Another tip: head to Radiator Springs Racers single rider line at dusk. You’ll beat those waiting to ride it at night just by a hair and you’ll still get to see Cars Land aglow if you time it right. Another night time option? Leave World of Color about 15 minutes before the finale and you’ll beat the rush.

As I mentioned earlier, you only need to be seven years old to join the single rider line. This works best if you have two adults that can “sandwich” a child. Explain they will go where the cast members direct them, buckle themselves and sit next to people they do not know. If your child still seems enthusiastic, let them know who will be waiting for them at the exit when their ride is done. Another way to enjoy single rider as a kid? Try Goofy’s Sky School. Adults can see the single rider line from the exit, making even nervous parents much more comfortable.

Single rider line at Goofy’s Sky School in California Adventure.

If you see a line forming on the bridge close to California Screamin’ countdown to scream area, hop in it. Chances are it’s the single rider line. During slow days you’ll be on in minutes. During peak days you’ll be waiting in the sun for 30 minutes or more.

Want to cool down on a hot day? Try hitting the rapids at Grizzly River Run’s single rider line before 1:00 pm for shorter waits.

Don’t get bummed about the wait, get soaked quick with the single rider line at Grizzly River Run.

Soarin’ Over California used to have a single rider option but now that it has made the switch to Soarin’ Around the World, it has been removed. I’m hoping it’s temporary and will come back once Soarin’ Around the World isn’t considered such a new attraction. It was great hanging out with you today here and on the podcast; I hope Disneyland On Any Budget and these tips will have you packing your bags to Disneyland in no time. See ya real soon!